Visionary Art

Baltimore’s Inner Harbor features a unique selection of artists in the American Visionary Art Museum.  The museum, established by Rebecca Hoffberger, presents thematic exhibitions that change every year.  The current feature,The Art of Storytelling: Lies, Enchantment, Humor & Truth, is open til September 1, 2013.

Cosmic Galaxy Egg, Andrew Logan. 2004
Baltimore, Maryland

     There have been eighteen exhibitions with themes ranging from nature to politics, and to the spiritual.  Andrew Logan’s, Cosmic Galaxy Egg, was acquired nine years ago to coincide with the exhibition entitled Holy H2O: Fluid Universe.  In the exhibition catalog, Hoffberger explained that the eight foot high egg is “the mythological symbol for the cosmic source of all waters.” Logan’s sculpture is still located in a courtyard outside the museum. The mosaic pattern on the surface of the egg has a jewel-like quality and may be reminiscent of Antoni Gaudi’s style.

Cosmic Galaxy Egg (detail)

     Visionary artists are not expected to conform to the standards of academic art, and they are sometimes referred to as folk artists. However, these two terms are not completely interchangeable. So perhaps the best way to gain insight about the visionary experience is to accept a broad definition of art, and recognize everyone’s potential for creative expression.

References

American Visionary Art Museum. http://www.avam.org (accessed June 11, 2013).

Hoffberger, Rebecca. Visions, vol. 10 / Holy H2O.  American Visionary Art Museum, 2004.